Combined scrubbing and sweeping machine



(No Model.)

l G. M. BENNETT. COMBINED SGRU-BBING AND SWBEPING MACHINE.

No. 479,616. Patented July 26, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE M. BENNETT, OF BURLINGTON, IOIVA.

COMBINED SCRUBBING AND SWEEPING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,616, dated July 2e,1892.

Application led March 2l 1891l .To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bur lington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a CombinedScrnbbing and Sweeping Machine; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to improvements in a combined scrubbing andsweeping machine; and the object of the invention is to provide asimple, inexpensive, and durable machine which is equally adapted fortaking up unclean water and washings from a floor after it has beenscrubbed or mopped and for sweeping carpets without change in theconstruction of the operating parts to adapt the' machine to itsdifferent uses.

lVith these ends in View the invention consists in a rotary brush-rollhaving its working surfaceformed byalternate strips and bristles, whichare arranged in the tangents of a circle with the axis of the brush-rollas a center.

The invention further consists in the peculiar construction andcombination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully explained.

To enable others to more readily understand myimprovements, I haveillustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I isa bottom plan view of the machine. Fig.II is a vertical transversesection thereof on the plane indicated by the dotted line :c of Fig. I.Fig. III is a detail view of the brush-roll removed from the machine.

Like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figuresof the drawings.

To enable the machine to be used equally as well for taking up uncleanwater and washings from a floor after it has been scrubbed as forsweeping carpeted doors, I resort to a novel form of brush, which ispeculiarly constructed to adapt it to thoroughly and efficientlyperformV the service required of it. The brush comprises a longitudinalcore or brush-roll 2, the brushes 3, and the iexible or pliable strips4, arranged between two adjacent series of bristles 3. The core or roll2 is polygonal in cross-section, preferably Serial No. 385,846. .(Nomodel.)

square, or it may be hexagonal or octagonal, according to the number ofstrips or bristles it is desired or convenient to'employ, and saidstrips and bristles are arranged in planes corresponding to the tangentof a circle with the axis of the core or roll as the center of suchcircle. Each strip and each series of bristles extend longitudinally ofthe polygonal core or roll, and they are received or fixed to the coreat or near the angles formed by the dat faces of such core. The flexiblestrips, which are preferably of rubber, are rigidly and firmly securedat one edge to the core by staples or in any preferred manner, and thestrips are fastened in rigid battens 3', which are xed in recesses inthe core flush with the surface thereof, and fastened in place bysuitable means. The strips and bristles extend equally from the brushcore or roll, so as to uniformly bear or press against the floor.

I have found by experiments with a machine having a brush constructed asherein described that the unclean water, washings, dust, dirt, 85e., arethoroughly lifted or elevated by the bristles and strips into a suitablereceptacle, and that the tangential arrangement of such bristles andstrips eects the cleaning or sweeping of the floor to much betteradvantage and with more thoroughness and certainty than a brush havingradial bristles. The brush has a shaft 5, or trunnions may be providedat the ends of the core, and the ends of said shaft or the trunnions areextended beyond the core asuflieient distance to lit in thebearin'gs ina casing and to receive the drvingrolls 6, one of which is provided ateach end of the brush. The brush is arranged longitudinally in a Vcase10,Which is provided with a longitudinal slot or opening Il in the lowerside thereof, through which slot the bristles and strips project as thebrush is rotated to contact with the door or carpet. On one side of thisopening or slot ll in the bottom of the case lO a flexible strip 12 isprovided, which depends below the case and is dragged over the floor toprevent the washings or sweepings from escaping from the Casin g. The'casing is divided longitudinally into two compartments 13 11i by alongitudinal fixed partition 15, arranged on one side of the slot 11opposite to the strip 12, and this partition is curved somewhat toconform to ICO the brush, and it is joined to the top of the casing,said partition having a longitudinal slot 16, which connects the twocompartments 13 14, into which the casing is divided by the partition11. In one of these compartments 18 the brush 1 is arranged, and thesweepings and Washings lifted by the brush in its rotations ascend thecurved partition 15 and pass through the slot 16 into the compartments14, which form a receptacle for such sweepings or washings. The casingis supported by the carrying-rolls 17 of comparatively large diameter,which are arranged on the outside of the casing to rest upon the floorand be turned by frictional contact therewith as the machine is pushedor drawn over the floor. The carrying-wheels are mounted on the ends ofa shaft 17', which is journaled in the end walls of the casing andextends through the compartment or receptacle 14 therein, and on theinside of this compartment 14 are arranged brake-springs 18, which arefixed to the ends of the casing and are designed to bear or impinge uponthe axle or shaft to retard in a measure the free rotation thereof, andthereby compel the operator to use force or pressure on the handle toinsure considerable friction on the carrying-wheels, and thus press themachine firmly upon the floor, which is especially advantageous whenscrubbing the floor.

The carrying-wheels 17 and the drive-rolls ot' the brush are faced withrubber or other suitable material to insure good frictional contact, andsaid wheels and rolls are arranged to bear upon each other to cause thebrush to be rotated by the drive-wheels as the machine is drawn orpushed over the floor.

A flap or door 19 is provided to the compartment or receptacle 14 on oneside of the case 10 to enable the sweepings or washings to be emptied,and this flap is hinged to the casing and its free edge confined inplace by a suitable catch or fastening. On the outside of the hinged iapor door I provide the parallel flexible strips 2O 21, which are suitablyfastened in place to the edges of the ilap, which is received snuglybetween flanges 22 of the she1ter-casing.

The machine may be inverted by turning the handle 23 thereof to adaptthe strips 20 21 to be used as scrubbers to wash the floor, after whichthe brush can be brought into play or use to take up the unclean Wateror washin gs.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understoodand appreciated by those skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates from the foregoing description, taken in connection with thedrawings.

I am aware that modifications in the form and proportion of parts anddetails of construction of the mechanism herein shown and described asan embodiment of my invention can be made without departing from thespirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, and I thereforereserve the right to make such alterations as fairly fall within thescope of my invention.

In the side Walls of the casing in a plane immediately above the curvedlongitudinal partition I provide openings or holes 25,through whichwater can be poured to fill the receptacle when used for scrubbingpurposes, and suitable holes or openings 26 are also provided forfeeding the scrubber, said openings being provided in the casing belowthe strip 19 for sprinkling purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as-new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A portable scrubbing and sweeping machine consisting, essentially, ofthe perforated wheeled casing having the interior receptacle, the brushhaving the polygonal core and the alternative bristles and moppers,which are secured to the angles or corners of said core and lietangentially to the axis of the same, and means for positively rotatingthe brush, substantially as described.

2. In a portable scrubbing and sweeping machine, the brush consisting ofthe polygonal core 2 and the alternate moppers and bristles 4 3, securedto said core at its angles or corners and arranged tangentially to theaxis of the same, substantially as and for the purpose described.

` 3. In a portable scrubbing and sweeping machine, a brush comprising apolygonal core having the longitudinal recesses in its faces near thecorners or angles thereof, the battens secured in said recesses andhaving the series of tangential bristles united thereto, and the exibletaugentialmopper-strips fastened to the core between the series ofbristles, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

JOHN. S. WERTZ, J. T. BELL.

ICO

